"I just want to hold onto my Canadian phone number for as little as possible" is a common question — whether you're about to leave Canada or simply want to keep a Canadian number for SMS verification with banks, government services, and other accounts. Freedom isn't your only option: Chatr, Koodo, Lucky Mobile, Public Mobile, and in-store choices like SpeakOut are all worth a look. The short version: if you plan to keep the number for a long time, an annual plan is easy to set up and hard to forget, while a flexible monthly plan suits people whose plans may change. Beyond price, the things that really save you from a bad surprise are "Can I still receive SMS once I'm abroad?" and "Can I handle everything with an eSIM?" This article lines up each provider fairly and walks through what to check when your goal is simply keeping a number.
- Several providers can keep a Canadian number alive
- Annual plans for the long term, monthly for flexibility
- Prices change — confirm on the official site before you buy
- Keep your number and your data separate; add data with an eSIM
- No calls/SMS on the number itself, but app-based calling works
The information here reflects general conditions as of June 2026. Pricing, SMS-receiving conditions, roaming, and eSIM support can change, so please confirm the latest details on each provider's official site before signing up.
Why keep a number in the first place?
In practice, there are two main reasons to keep a Canadian number: to receive SMS verification codes, and to reuse the same number if you return to Canada later. Canadian bank accounts, SIN-related services, and many online accounts are often set up to send login and identity-verification codes by SMS to a Canadian mobile number. If you lose that number after you leave, those verifications can fail and leave you stuck.
On the other hand, if you rarely use Canadian services — or you can switch your verification over to a number in your home country or to an authenticator app — you may not need to keep a Canadian number at all. A good first step is to write out "Do I really need to keep this number?" and "Which services are tied to it?" That alone helps you avoid paying for something you don't need.
What to check when keeping a number
Choosing on price alone often leads to the classic failure: "I couldn't receive the SMS after I left." Run through the points below to stay safe.
- Whether the number stays active (and what causes it to go dormant or expire)
- Whether you can receive SMS (overseas/after departure receiving depends on conditions)
- Whether the price is reasonable and keeps your ongoing cost low
- Whether you can confirm roaming and Wi-Fi Calling availability
- Whether it supports eSIM, so you can manage it without receiving a physical SIM from abroad
Comparing the providers' number-keeping plans
Here are the main options, lined up from a number-keeping perspective. Prices and data amounts change, so treat these as rough guides only.
| Provider | Approx. price | Per-month equiv. | Data | eSIM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom (annual) | from ~$99/yr | ~$8.25/mo | Low (more on higher tiers) | Supported | Easy to keep, centered on calls and incoming SMS |
| Chatr (annual) | ~$159/yr (40GB) | ~$13.25/mo | Yes | In some cases | Annual plan that includes data |
| Koodo Prepaid | Monthly prepaid | — | Depends on plan | In some cases | A prepaid option |
| Lucky Mobile | ~$15/mo and up | — | Low and up | On supported devices | Budget monthly |
| Public Mobile | ~$20/mo and up | — | Depends on plan | In some cases | Mostly online self-serve |
* Prices, data, eSIM support, and SMS receiving are rough guides as of June 2026. Please confirm the latest details with each provider. Note that with number portability you can generally move your number to a new carrier as-is. Knowing that you can not only "stay with your current provider" but also "keep your number while moving to a cheaper one" makes it easier to lower your ongoing cost.
Annual or monthly — which suits you?
The short answer: annual if you'll keep the number for a long time, monthly if your situation may change. An annual plan lets you keep a number for a set period with a single payment, so there's no monthly bill or renewal to forget. Freedom, for example, has plans that make it easy to keep a number on an annual basis; the mechanics and the renewal pitfalls are covered in detail in How to keep a Canadian number on Freedom Mobile's annual plan.
A monthly plan, by contrast, is easy to cancel or switch and suits people whose plans are still in flux. Just remember that if payment stops, the number can expire — so it relies on you managing it each month. If keeping the number is your main goal and you'll hold it long-term, go annual; if your usage is likely to change soon, go monthly. Splitting the decision this way makes it much easier.
What happens to SMS verification after you leave?
This is the part that worries people most. The most important thing to know up front: whether you can still receive SMS on a Canadian number after you've left the country depends on your plan and on roaming/Wi-Fi Calling conditions, and it cannot be guaranteed in every case.
Generally, if the line is kept active and supports SMS receiving, messages may still arrive — but whether reception works from abroad varies by provider and plan. Before signing up, always confirm with the provider's official information or support: "Can I still receive SMS on this number once I'm back home or traveling overseas?" For practical tips on actually receiving codes after you've left, see also How to receive Canadian SMS verification codes once you're abroad.
Four things to compare beyond price
It's tempting to decide a number-keeping plan purely on "cheapest first," but for people living abroad or about to leave, the non-price factors below matter just as much.
- How easily you can confirm SMS receiving after you leave
- Whether you can handle it entirely with eSIM (no need to receive a physical SIM from abroad)
- The renewal effort (annual is hard to forget; monthly needs management)
- Whether you can keep using the same number if you return
Who it's for — and who it isn't
| Your priority | How to think about it |
|---|---|
| Cheapest possible number-keeping | Compare Freedom annual and budget monthly (Lucky/Public) |
| Want a bit of data too | Chatr annual (with data) is also worth considering |
| SMS verification after leaving matters most | Check SMS receiving and roaming conditions with each provider |
| Planning to return to Canada | A plan that makes it easy to keep the same number |
A good fit if you...
- Just want to keep a Canadian number affordably
- Want to keep a number for SMS verification
- Plan to return to Canada later
Probably not for you if you...
- Want to use a lot of data on your Canadian number (a regular local plan may suit you better)
- Rarely use Canadian services at all
Keep your number and your data as separate jobs
Number-keeping plans often come with modest data, so if you want to stream video, use maps, or tether heavily while you're in Canada, it helps to treat "keeping a number" and "data" as two separate jobs. Use a cheap plan just to keep the number, and top up data only as much as you need with a data-only eSIM — that way you avoid paying for an expensive higher-tier plan.
Bloomy is a data-only eSIM and does not provide a phone number or SMS. You can't make or receive voice calls on a phone number, and you can't send or receive SMS — but app-based calling that runs over data (such as WhatsApp, Messenger, FaceTime, and similar apps) works as usual. If you need a number or SMS, it's easier to think of it as two separate jobs: a number-keeping plan like SpeakOut for the number, and an eSIM for data. A fair-use policy applies, and connection quality varies with the local network, your device, and the area.
Bloomy data plans come in 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, and 20GB (check coverage and the latest details on the comparison page). For guidance on how much data you might need for a stay in Canada and how setup works, the Canada eSIM guide is a helpful reference. Please note in advance that connection quality varies with the local network, area, and congestion.
An in-store option: SpeakOut (7-Eleven)
As an affordable option you can buy in store, SpeakOut, sold at 7-Eleven, is also worth knowing. It's a provider that operates on a major network (an MVNO), and its prepaid setup tends to suit people who simply want to keep a number cheaply.
- Top-ups are valid for 365 days: amounts include $25, $35, $50, and $100, valid for 365 days from your last top-up (balance also carries over). If you only want to keep a number, you can maintain it with a single minimal top-up once a year.
- Incoming SMS (texts) are free: included in the plan, which suits receiving SMS verification codes.
- Calls are pay-as-you-go: local calls run $0.30/min (incoming and outgoing, as confirmed). Good for people who mainly keep a number with the occasional incoming call.
- 90 days after expiry, the number is reassigned if you don't top up. It assumes you won't forget that once-a-year top-up.
* Amounts, validity periods, coverage, and pricing may change. Confirm the latest details on the official SpeakOut site (checked as of June 2026). SpeakOut is not a Bloomy service. Thinking of it as "a number-keeping service like SpeakOut, plus an eSIM for data" makes everything easier to organize.
Common mistakes (all avoidable with a quick check)
- Choosing on price alone and not confirming SMS receiving after you leave: check receiving and roaming conditions with each provider.
- Missing the renewal deadline on an annual plan: track the renewal date in a calendar.
- Trying to cover data with a number-keeping plan and overpaying: split data off onto an eSIM.
- Letting the number get reassigned after it expires: don't forget to top up or pay within the deadline.
What to do next
- Confirm each provider's pricing, SMS receiving, roaming, and eSIM support on their official site
- Choose annual or monthly to match how you'll actually use it
- Keep in mind that you can move the number via portability
- Plan to add data for your stay in Canada with an eSIM
Summary
Keeping a Canadian number has several options: Freedom annual, Chatr annual, budget monthly (Lucky/Public), and in-store SpeakOut. Since prices shift over time, work from the assumption that you'll confirm on official sites, and compare on non-price factors too — like SMS receiving after you leave and eSIM support. Because most of these plans come with modest data, it's sensible to split data off onto a data-only eSIM. Decide your goal first (just the number, or data too) and you'll choose a plan that's neither too much nor too little.
This article is for general information only. Each provider's pricing, SMS-receiving availability, roaming, and eSIM support change over time. Keeping a number may require renewal within a deadline. Bloomy is a data-only eSIM and does not provide a phone number or SMS. Please confirm each provider's official site before you actually sign up. We do not guarantee that you will be able to receive Canadian SMS once you are abroad.
